User:Astrotrain/Northern Ireland Flag

Context
Uses of this flag as representing Northern Ireland


 * Amazon.com
 * Brady Corporation Ltd
 * British Embassy, Copenhagen
 * British Embassy, Tehran
 * Chris de Burgh (!)-
 * Commonwealth Games Federation
 * Commonwealth Fencing Federation
 * Encyclopædia Britannica
 * Encyclopedia Heraldica
 * Fairfax County, Virginia
 * Flag Focus "A vexillarium of flags from around the world "
 * Flags.net (webiste of Graham Bartram (Chief Vexillologist of the Flag Institute))
 * GlobalGenealogy.com Inc
 * Flags Unlimited Inc
 * FIFA
 * Portland International Church of Christ-
 * Irishaustralia
 * UEFA
 * University of Essex
 * University of Warwick

2000 Order
The Queen in Council, on 17 May 2000, passed the The Flags (Northern Ireland) Order 2000 granting powers to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to "make regulations regulating the flying of flags at government buildings". The definition of a government building is "a building wholly or mainly occupied by members of the Northern Ireland Civil Service" (see text of the order at )

2000 Regulations
On 8 November 2000, the Secretary of State signed the The Flags Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000, under the powers granted to him by the The Flags (Northern Ireland) Order 2000. The Order states that :


 * The Union flag shall be flown at the government buildings specified in Part I of the Schedule to these Regulations on the days specified in Part II of the Schedule
 * The Union flag shall be flown on the days specified in Part II of the Schedule at any other government building at which it was the practice to fly the Union flag on notified days in the period of 12 months ending with 30th November 1999
 * On the occasion of a visit to a government building by a Head of State other than Her Majesty The Queen, the Union flag may be flown at that building
 * On the occasion of a visit to a government building by Her Majesty The Queen, the Royal Standard shall be flown at that building
 * Except as provided by these Regulations, no flag shall be flown at any government building at any time

The buildings refered to in Part I are


 * 1) Adelaide House, Adelaide Street, Belfast.
 * 2) Castle Buildings, Stormont Estate, Belfast
 * 3) Churchill House, Victoria Square, Belfast.
 * 4) Clarence Court, 10-18 Adelaide Street, Belfast.
 * 5) Dundonald House, Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast.
 * 6) Netherleigh House, Massey Avenue, Belfast.
 * 7) Rathgael House, Balloo Road, Bangor, County Down.

The dates refered to in Part II are


 * 20 January: birthday of Sophie, The Countess of Wessex
 * 6 February: anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II
 * 19 February: birthday of Prince Andrew, Duke of York
 * Second Sunday in March: Commonwealth Day
 * 10 March: birthday of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
 * 21 April: birthday of Queen Elizabeth II
 * 9 May: Europe Day
 * 2 June: anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
 * 10 June: birthday of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
 * A Saturday in June: Official Birthday of Queen Elizabeth II
 * 4 August: birthday of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother
 * 15 August: birthday of Anne, Princess Royal
 * 21 August: birthday of Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
 * Second Sunday in November: Remembrance Sunday
 * 14 November: birthday of Charles, Prince of Wales
 * 20 November: anniversary of the wedding of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip

2002 Regulations
On 2002, the Regulations were amended to deal with the death of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon that year. Also, the Queen's Golden Jubilee took place in 2002, and the Amendment allowed Northern Irish government buildings to fly the flag in line with the rest of the UK.

See text at

Further Notes
The Regulations have never been amended to allow the flag to be flown on the Duchess of Cornwall's birthday. Her birthday is an official flag day in the rest of the United Kingdom.

Relevant news stories

 * IKEA Store opens- anger over claims that the Ulster Banner and Union Flag will fly outside the building
 * Sinn Fein forced to fly the Union Flag (2000)-